Water-motor.



No. 640,982. Patented lan. 9, |900.

H. A. WISE.

WATER MOTOR.

(Application filed Jan. 31, 1899.)

Y (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

wii'gesses v M `195261310 77%@ Vy ma @www I j t power, the carriersupportin g and guiding de- STATES u PATENT OFFIC.

HERBERTv A. WISE, OF LUXORA, ARKANSAS.

WATER-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,982, dated January 9, 1900.

Application filed January 31,1899. Serial Nor 704.012. (No model.)

Vthat class employed in connection with floating supports, such as barges; and the object in view is toprovide a simple, compact, and eflicient construction and arrangement j of parts whereby the endless paddle-carrier is suitably supported and guided to reduce friction to the minimum and obtain the maximum vices beingarranged in connectionwith a t floating frame or barge constructed to support machinery to be operated by the power derived from the moving lpaddles or blades.

Further objects andadvantages of this inventionwill appear in the followingdescrilption, and the novel features thereof willbe particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a barge constructed to support a mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2

walls or gunwales 12.

is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail View in perspective of a portion of the blade with its terminal guide and the adjacent portions of the carrier.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The supporting-framework embodies a main or upper deck 10, upon which is erected a housing 11, adapted for the machinery to be driven by the mechanism embodying my invention, side walls or gunwales 12,depending, preferably vertically, from the main deck, and front and rear Walls 13 and 14, of which the former constitutes a break or guard for deecting floating objects, and thus preventing contact thereof with a motor inclosed within the frame between the parallel side Located between said gunwales and below the plane of the main deck 10 is a water-tight float, consisting of a lower deck 15, a bottom 16, and rounded or inclined heads or ends 17, said deck being preferably flat andl ghorizontal and spaced from the plane of the main deck a sufficient distance to allow the blades connected by the endless carrier to pass therebetween.

Upon transverse shafts or spindles mountt.

ed in the oppositeside walls or gunwales 12 of the supporting-frame are arranged chain- Wheels 19, respectivelyin front and in rear of the extremities of the intermediate float, and` traversing these wheelsis an endless carrier, consisting in the constructionillustrated of chains20.` These chainshave open links which pull over sprockets onthe wheels 19.` These chains are connected transversely at intervals by blades 21, adaptedto occupy a `position perpendicular Y to the plane of the adjacent portions of the chain and `preferably secured surface of the lower deck, which constitutes the upperwall of, the oat, and securedto the extremities ofthe blades are travelers 24, having terminal antifrictionLrolls 25, `mounted in bifurcations 26 of the travelers to traverse said strips 23, each 'traveler constituting a cross-head at the end of a blade, and thus eX- tending in front and in rear thereof to maintain the blade in its normal position perpendicularto the plane of the adjacent portion of the chain and at the same time support the blade and the adjacent portion of the chain to prevent frictional contact of said parts with the adjacent portions of the supportingframe and iioat. Also at an intermediate point each traveler is provided with an axially-vertical roll 27, adapted for contact with the inner surface of the gunwale to prevent contact of the extremities of the traveler with the same and, in other words, to maintain the IOO t j 7Vo to the links of the chainby strrup-bolts 22 or` t `the equivalent thereof.V t Guide-strips 23 are These guide-channels are terminally rounded or returned to extend around the terminal carrier-wheels 19, as clearly shown in Fig-2.

Any suitable means may be employed for communicating the motion of the shafts to the machinery to be driven, snch mechanism forming no part of my invention. Also it will be understood that auxiliary motorsconstructed as above described and located exteriorly of the side walls or gunwales 12 may be coupled with the shafts 18 to increase the power of the mechanism and also that the apparatus as described may be arranged either in alinement with or obliquely to the direction of the current of water. The housing formed by the side walls or gunwales and the end Walls 13 and 14 of the exterior frame protects the inclosed carrier and blades, and the apparatus may be towed to the point of use without the risk of injuring the motor by reason of the protection aorded by said exterior frame or shell.

In practice various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. v

Having described my inventionnvhat I claim is f l. In a` water-motor of the character set forth, the combination of a bottomless frame v float and near the bottom of the side walls or gnnwales in the form of channels terminating in opposite curved ends beyond the carrier-wheels, and endless chains adapted to traverse said wheels, and spaced blades transversely connecting said chains and provided with terminal cross-heads at opposite ends supporting front and rear rollers with their axes disposed horizontally in a transverse direction and intermediate rollers with their axes arranged vertically, the said intermediate rollers extending outwardly a greater distance than the adjacent similar projections of the cross-heads, said rollers engaging respectively the guides and guide-channels and portions of the side walls or gunwales of the bottomless frame.

2. In a water-motor of the character set forth, the combination withv a bottomless frame having side walls or gunwales provided with upper and lower guides, the lower guides forming channels terminating in curved ends extending above the upper guides, of carrierwheels having their shafts mounted in bearings in the side Walls or gunwales within the curved terminals of the lower guides, a watertight float housed between the side walls or gunwales of the said frame and provided with horizontally in a transverse direction,and in.

termediate rollers with their axes arranged vertically, said intermediate rollers extend ing outwardly beyond the plane of the adjacent sides of the cross-heads.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT A. VISE; Witnesses:

A. G. BROWN, JAMES HEARN. 

